On parenting, family, and life in general!

Pregnancy update, and a new computer!

My BabyIt’s the last week of your second trimester, and you know what that means: Just a few short months until your baby’s really here! This week your baby will grow half an inch (she’s now about 9.5 inches from crown to rump). She currently weighs a little over 2 pounds — and is set to gain almost a half-pound each week for the next 10 weeks. (Yep, that means you’ll continue to gain weight, too. In fact, pregnant women pack on more pounds in the third trimester than in any other). At birth, the average full-term baby tips the scales at 7.5 pounds and measures between 18 and 22 inches, although many completely healthy babies fall outside of this range. And here’s another fun factoid: Although your baby has started to recognize your voice, it’s hard for her to hear it clearly because her ears are covered with that gooey, protective coating of vernix. Between that and the amniotic fluid, your baby’s eavesdropping ability is akin to how well you hear under water.

My BodyBy now, you’re putting on about a pound each week, although this does vary, so don’t be alarmed if your scale-tipping differs from week to week. Your uterus has now expanded all the way up to the lower part of your ribcage, so you’re probably rocking that adorable all-belly look. In fact, the only thing shrinking right now may be your libido — so it’s totally A-OK if your cravings for french fries trump your desire to do the deed. Many preggo women report that their libidos are all over the map throughout these nine months. But especially now, a growing belly may translate to feeling more tired and achy, so sex may become less and less desirable as your pregnancy drags on. But other women report a big can’t-get-enough surge in their third trimester — so if you’re one of ’em, more power to you!

My LifeAre you usually one of those shy, don’t-rock-the-boat types? A lot of women find that being pregnant makes them more assertive than usual — and better equipped to set boundaries at home, at work, or anywhere. The awareness that you’re responsible for another little person is often motivation enough to speak up or say no when necessary — asking a friend (or a stranger) to stamp out her cigarette when she’s lighting up nearby, for example. Pregnancy also has a way of making you hyper-attuned to your instincts. So that tiny voice in the back of your head telling you “I need a seat on this overcrowded bus — stat!” is suddenly toting a megaphone, which helps you really go with your gut and do what’s best for you and your baby. And the more you can get in the habit of setting limits now, the happier and less frazzled you’ll be once you’re no longer a party of two.

Week 27 and all is well! At least thus far anyway! I can’t believe that I start the third trimester next week!!!

John built my new computer last night, which is really cool! This is my first blog post on my new computer, and it’s running great! The biggest hassle is getting everything reinstalled. Also, I need to go on my laptop and pull off my favorite websites so I can put them back up on this computer. I am going to work on a lot of that stuff today. Also, hopefully tonight, we’ll reformat my laptop, and then we can decide what to do with it. I am debating possibly seeing if I can use it as a work computer. I am wondering if I do if I can take it as some sort of deduction on our taxes, or something, I don’t know. At least then I’ll have a fully functioning running computer at work!

Anyway, off to get some other stuff done. I’ve been working on stuff for an hour or so already, and not even close to being done. I need to move my mouse next because I don’t have room on my keyboard tray for both.